Priceless Products and Packaging

Posted on May 5, 2013 by sglaser

Priceless Products and Packaging is a new feature on Travel Oops that celebrates interesting products and packaging from around the world. Wandering up and down the aisles of grocery stores or markets is always enlightening when you’re visiting another country. The text included on the packaging and in marketing campaigns often reflects characteristics and values of a nation. Translations are the best because, understandably, sometimes the meaning is inadvertently lost or tweaked slightly.

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Travel Ahh…Colorado Rocky Mountains

Posted on April 30, 2013 by sglaser

To be honest, the ocean is zen to me. It’s where I’d most love to be. However, mountains aren’t a bad substitute. I live in Colorado with some pretty spectacular peaks. In fact, as a teacher, every year I had my students write about the mountains that we often take for granted.

The above photo I took in Telluride, Colorado, USA. Before we had kids, Kurt and I would choose a new place in Colorado every fall to go and check out the Aspens.

Aspen, CO, USA.

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Travel Oops: Signs of the Times — “Huh…That’s an Interesting Name”

Posted on April 27, 2013 by sglaser

Tanning a hide in Marrakech © Donar Reiskoffer

“That’s an interesting name” is code for “Wow that’s an odd, quirky or WTF name.” Celebrities, of course, are notorious for giving their kids “unique” names such as Camera, Apple, Rocket, Daisy Boo, Tallulah Belle, Audio Science, Moon Unit…the list goes on. But eventually the kids can use nicknames, (although App is still rather “interesting”) change their names or flip off the paparazzi if the camerapeople ask how the tweens like their given names.

However, when businesses carefully select a name, it’s usually emblazoned on a large sign or spelled out in huge neon letters. And unintended associations and connotations can linger for a long time. Check out the above tanning salon, Tan Your Hide. Yes, it’s a tongue-in-cheek name. Actually tanning your hide is pictured above and to the left, and why wouldn’t you want to do that to yourself in a little cooking capsule?

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Hello world!

Posted on April 25, 2013 by sglaser

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Travel Oops: Packing Weapons of Mass Distraction

Posted on April 24, 2013 by sglaser

Phoenix, Arizona, USA. 2011.

In a bulky badass stride, a muscular police officer with a military precision haircut approaches the security scene at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. He wears a flak jacket while pepper spray, handcuffs and extra clips adorn his gun belt. Clearly, this guy is packing heat.

Moments earlier, a group of TSA agents had clustered around a confiscated item. Redirecting everybody but us, one agent shut down an entire row of security and called in the cop.

Travelers shoot withering looks our way while my husband Kurt and I, along with our kids Eddie and Kasey, stand at the end of the conveyor belt. Returning from Mexico, we need to make our connecting flight to Denver.

Although no one actually informs us, Kurt and I know exactly what is wrong. I look over at Kurt, who rolls his eyes. Then our six-year-old son Eddie asks the all-important question:

“Am I going to get my marshmallow gun back?”

Eddie (left) and his friends armed with their marshmallow guns. © Stephanie Glaser

Months earlier, Kurt had made Eddie a marshmallow gun out of PVC piping after he had seen one at a carnival. You can actually fire marshmallow “bullets” from the toy by blowing them through any of the pipes’ openings. Like a veteran SWAT team member, Eddie assembles the entire thing, which sort of resembles a white sniper gun, in about 29 seconds.

So now we wait at the Phoenix Airport for the marshmallow gun to either be cleared or confiscated for good. Apparently, due to the Transportation Security Administration’s protocol, a professional must inspect the contraband — especially when it’s material that people use to make bombs.

“I don’t know, Bud.” Kurt answers.

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Travel Ahh…Seagulls

Posted on April 21, 2013 by sglaser

Goleta Beach, California, USA. Seagulls may squawking scavengers, but I love to watch them soar. My kids especially like seagulls because the birds are fun to stalk. Ultimately, I appreciate seagulls because they tell me that water, in particular the ocean, is close.

East Beach, Santa Barbara, CA, USA.

Goleta Beach, California, USA.

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Signs of the Times: Wildlife? Really?

Posted on April 20, 2013 by sglaser

Pikes Peak Parking Lot, Denver International Airport, United States. Often people think of Colorado as an idyllic setting for wildlife. However, usually an airport parking lot is not part of the wildlife landscape. I guess you never know — some bunny or bird of prey with longing in their eyes may approach, prompting you to give them some “drive-thru” McDonald’s morsels.

Cars parked in the Pikes Peak parking lot © Stephanie Glaser

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Travel Oops: The Outback or the Rainforest?

Posted on April 12, 2013 by sglaser

This isn’t the actual road to Uluru, but this was common to see when we arrived in Alice Springs.

It was pretty obvious a minivan could not plow through the goopy, sloppy red Outback route to Uluru. Essentially, the roads were open only to the burliest of vehicles. No matter how much the Honda Odyssey believed it was a Mad Maxian four-wheel drive, there was no way we would make it. No way. It was time to find another mode of transportation to take us to the most famous monolith in the world.

Uncharacteristically heavy rains had churned and upturned the soil of Australia’s red center. Water wrecked havoc on the town of Alice Springs, and the Todd River had overtaken some of the city’s streets.

Locals said if you saw the Todd River even flow at all at three times you were a local. Considering the river’s raging water, we definitely were one-third local.

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Travel Ahh…Silhouettes

Posted on April 9, 2013 by sglaser

Silhouettes not only capture definite outlines, edges and angles of a subject, but they offer a bit of mystery, too. That’s what I like so much about them. I also like silhouettes because they seem a bit more forgiving when you’re taking a photo. The above photo of the boat I took after a stunning sunset in Kalbarri, Western Australia.

Kalbarri, Western Australia.

Bali, Indonesia. It’s impossible not to take a good photo of Tanah Lot, one of the sacred Hindu temples on Bali.

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Signs of the Times: Beavis and Butt-head, This is for You Guys

Posted on April 6, 2013 by sglaser

Adelaide, Australia. Although I love Asian food, my inner adolescent boy came out strong with this one. I used to drive by this sign daily on my way to work. Kurt, the kids and I ate at A Dong a few times and I highly recommend the restaurant. In fact, I always wished I had taken a photo of the establishment before we left at the end of 2010. However, upon returning to Adelaide last month, I had a mission. While doing this post, I checked to see if there was a translation for A Dong from Vietnamese to English and could not find one. So, that still leaves the original connotation alive.